Oil painting has become my ikigai and takes up most of my spare time, which means that my LifeNut blogs suffer. But something happened today that made me return.

Because my wife Laura continues to have problems walking, we decided to take advantage of a seminar offered by a local chiropractor who also provided a lunch after his pitch. At the Golden Corral. What a glimpse into a microcosm of American health.

If you don’t already know, Golden Corral is a restaurant chain that features an inclusive buffet – all you can stuff into your tummy. About 20 years ago I ate at one when two of my sons and I went on a golf trip. I was heavier then and loved all their tasty food. And my stomach was big enough to fit a lot of it in.

Fast forward 20 years to today. Each of the offerings has a label of the number of calories, though there’s no mention of fat or saturated fat content. Hey, that’s a positive. And, there were lots of vegetable selections and fruit. But I admit that I had trouble passing up the chocolate cookie. Just one. Anyway, that’s not the main point.

We arrived about ten minutes before show time and couldn’t believe that the room was packed. Luckily, a lady moved to give us her seat on the aisle that Laura and her walker could handle. Nice of her. After us, two more arrived and had to sit in the aisle. I think even the chiropractor was surprised. We’ve been to some of the “free dinner” financial presentations, which are never this full. Why, I asked myself.

As I looked around the room, I noted that, with the exception of an older Asian couple, everyone was obese, some morbidly so. A lady sat in the front row next to her 20-something son. They barely fit into the chairs they sat on. Most of the folks were middle-aged. Some older. Whatever the mass mailing brought in.

I saw America today. Funny, 20 years ago, when I ate at the Golden Corral, I didn’t notice the obese. Of course, my BMI then was probably close to 30. So why would I notice? And what drew them here today? Was it the topic of neuropathy, disease of nerves? The free lunch? Or an answer to their medical afflictions? I’m guessing, judging from their bellies, the Golden Corral helped, but I think that they were more interested in a remedy to their problems, which, of course, are mostly related to their obesity and their lifestyle.

As the chiropractor explained mainline medicine’s approach to neuropathy – drugs and surgery – there were oohs and aahs at certain times, indicating that the folks could identify with what he was saying. He asked how many were taking medications. Everyone raised their hand but me. How many were taking five. Many hands. Ten? One hand. He asked if anyone felt the best he or she ever felt in his or her life. My hand was the only one to go up.

He explained that he sees a lot of people with Type II diabetes (obesity-caused) and other diseases. He told us that he also offered a weight control program. That didn’t seem to spark any interest. He also offered a light therapy and a TENS unit, both of which have been shown to increase circulation, which helps to heal damaged tissue, such as nerves.

And he asked for sign-ups. For a regular exam charge of $249, there was a special seminar price of $89, but, if one signed up for an appointment (and paid for it) today, the price was lowered to $29. Many signed up.

Later, while Laura and I ate lunch, the chiropractor came by, introduced himself, and asked if we had any questions. After Laura explained her condition, I told him about the LifeNuts program and mentioned – ever so quietly – the obesity factor, shared by almost everyone in the room. He smiled, knowing the implication. However, rather than preach about prevention, which is noticeably missing in modern medicine, he focused on treatment. Perhaps during his treatments, he suggests diet and exercise. Hopefully.

The experience made me think about how the AMA has allowed obesity to run wild, dramatically increasing the need for medical services – physicians, drugs, treatment – while keeping the numbers of medical graduates low enough to avoid an oversupply. Cagy.

I guess I’d be in that obese crowd if I hadn’t decided to get healthy and change my lifestyle. Recently, someone told me that nearly all of winners of the Biggest Loser TV series had regained the weight they lost. Diets don’t work. Lifestyles work. So, why not join the LifeNut crowd, ditch the meds, buy some new clothes, and feel good about yourself? It’s a big step, but it’s worth it.